Roots

“All things must come to the soul from its roots, from where it is planted.” – Saint Teresa of Avila

The weekly grass cutting turned into a bit more than a routine chore this weekend.  As I moved a branch on a bush that’s been in my yard for years, it broke off. The next branch, the same. When I looked closer, the roots were dry, weak and rotted. One branch after another kept coming out. A few stubborn ones had to be axed out. I cut up the remains and the branches are ready to be burned in the fire pit on a cool evening.

What other dry and hollow things need to be uprooted and discarded? So often, we let assumptions, biases and insecurities take root. Take a closer look. What needs to go to see a new view, to make a fresh start, to move onto the next chapter? Make time for some digging and axing as well as watering and nurturing. The shallow must go to make room for what’s real and deeply rooted.

“Everything has seasons, and we have to be able to recognize when something’s time has passed and be able to move into the next season. Everything that is alive requires pruning as well, which is a great metaphor for endings.” – Henry Cloud